The present invention relates generally to a communication system, a communication method, a server apparatus, and a client apparatus which are intended for distributing video content and music content for example via the Internet.
Today, it is known that content such as music content for example is distributed from content distribution service entities to users. Conventionally, however, there are distribution and sale methods that can only perform the distribution and sale of a single item of content and plural items of content, there making it impossible to perform the distribution and sale of content in the form of albums.
Therefore, the related-art content distribution technique presents a problem that, if an attempt is made to sell, as content, each album music CD (Compact Disc) sold at the store, each track of each music CD must be handled as one item of content and one music CD must be distributed as plural items of content, thereby losing the integrity of each album music CD as an album.
It should be noted that a method of distributing and selling a single item of content denotes a method in which one item of content is distributed in response to one content distribution request from a user and charging is executed on the distributed one item of content. On the other hand, a method of distributing and selling plural items of content denotes a method in which plural items of content are distributed in response to one content distribution request from a user and charging is executed on each of the distributed plural items of content (charging is executed by the number of times equivalent to the number of items of content).
The above-mentioned related-art content distribution method requires the user to repeat the same information entry operation every time he/she wants to acquire album content and the amount of information to be entered significantly increases as the case may be, thereby hindering user convenience.